Jcc Man Pleads Guilty In Relatives' Murders

May 31, 2002|By PATTI ROSENBERG Daily Press

WILLIAMSBURG — A 20-year-old James City man saved himself from a possible death sentence by pleading guilty Thursday to murdering a 76-year-old great-aunt two years ago and then murdering her 75-year-old brother last year.

Annie Mae Russell Banks was found dead in her Brick Bat Road rancher after a devastating fire May 9, 2000. Investigators later determined that she died of blunt force trauma to the head before the blaze was set. A hammer head with a burned and broken handle was recovered at the scene.

FOR THE RECORD - Published correction ran Saturday, June 1, 2002A story in Friday's Local section about Marquis Russell pleading guilty to murdering Annie Mae Russell Banks and her brother, Willie Russell, incorrectly identified Joe Banks as Mrs. Banks' oldest child. He is the second-oldest child. (Text corrected.)

Willie Russell, who lived next door, was shot to death in his driveway Jan. 11, 2001. The weapon was a shotgun stolen a couple of days earlier from his brother's garage down the street.

Investigators believe robbery was the motive in both cases.

In addition to two counts of first-degree murder, Marquis Russell pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, grand larceny, arson, two counts of robbery and two firearm charges. Russell lived with his mother in the same area of Brick Bat Road as the relatives he victimized.

Russell's parents sat on one side of the courtroom, and several of Mrs. Banks' children sat on the other side during the brief hearing in Williamsburg-James City County Circuit Court. Bailiffs passed a box of tissues back and forth between both sides.

Russell himself betrayed no emotion, calmly and clearly answering "guilty" to all of the charges, except for two counts of capital murder that were dropped in return for his plea. Reducing the charges from capital to first-degree murder means that the death penalty is off the table.

But Russell still faces up to five life sentences plus 48 years in prison. He is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 7.

Joe Banks, the second-oldest of Mrs. Banks' 11 children, said Russell's apparently cool demeanor was especially tough to witness in contrast to his behavior the morning of the fire. He recalled how Russell was crying and hugging him and telling him about how he went into the burning house and tried to save Mrs. Banks.

Linda Banks, Joe Banks' wife, said that some family members wanted to see Russell executed, but most didn't -- partly because that punishment would be done and over with too quickly.

According to a summary of the evidence that Williamsburg-James City County Commonwealth's Attorney Mike McGinty submitted in court Thursday:

A fellow inmate of Russell's at the Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail reported to authorities that Russell told him he had gone to Mrs. Banks' house to get money to buy marijuana, but got into an argument with her. She tried to get him out of the house and a fight ensued. Russell admitted that he "lost it" and began hitting his great-aunt. Then he realized she was dead and started the fire to cover his tracks.

Another inmate said he heard Russell crying one day and asked him what was wrong. The inmate said Russell told him his life was over and that he'd killed two people -- his aunt and uncle.

Investigators found Mrs. Banks' purse inside her residence, without any money in it.

Willie Russell was found with a shaving kit on him with almost $32,000 stuffed in it. There was more than $5,000 in his wallet. He was also known to often carry loose money in a pants pocket and some money in a folded white envelope, but nothing like that was found. His mother, with whom he'd lived all his life, didn't believe in banks, and left money squirreled away in nooks and crannies all over the house. Willie, who inherited the money, had a history of mental illness.

Robert Russell -- the murder victims' brother, the defendant's grandfather and the man who owned the shotgun that was stolen -- told police not many people knew that Willie carried the shaving kit around with him. He said his grandson probably wouldn't have known about that, but probably did know about the loose money and the envelope.

McGinty said investigators turned up information that Marquis Russell liked to drink, smoke marijuana laced with cocaine and generally party. His lifestyle made him lazy and he was frequently unemployed, McGinty said. The combination -- along with car payments for a used Chevrolet Camaro he'd bought -- created a demand for money, the prosecutor said.

Patti Rosenberg can be reached at 229-5751 or by e- mail at prosenberg@dailypress.com